Forget Me Not
by rosexknight
Summary: Original Prompt from panchibust of Tumblr: After sending rumple away, Belle goes to Arendelle to stay with Elsa and Anna. When rumple finds out he goes there and begs them, at their feet, to help him get Belle back.
1. Chapter 1

Forget Me Not

By: RosexKnight

_Prompt from panchibust: After sending rumple away, Belle goes to Arendelle to stay with Elsa and Anna. When rumple finds out he goes there and begs them, at their feet, to help him get Belle back._

Chapter One

It had been three weeks, seven days, and two and a half hours since Belle had used the dagger. Had pushed her so-called true love over Storybrooke's town line. And had realized there was no way she could stay there. The very sidewalk was soaked with memories. She couldn't even bare to go back to the house.

Luckily, she didn't have to, and she soon found herself in the chilly land of Arendelle.

"Are you sure? I mean not that you won't be welcomed here because you will but I mean you're leaving behind your entire _life_." Anna had said when Belle asked to join them. She'd already had a suitcase packed…why let it go to waste, right?

"I'm sure." Belle said, trying to keep her voice light. "I've always wanted to see the world. I can't do that here, so…Why not start in Arendelle?"

She knew Anna could tell something was wrong, but Belle never told her that the dark sorcerer she'd told her to stay away from all those years ago was now her…ex? She honestly had no idea. She just knew that she couldn't stay here.

"Belle…" Emma said, giving her a look that was far too much like pity for Belle's taste. She looked as though she was going to say something more, but Killian put his hand on her shoulder.

Belle had never thought in a million years Killian would be the one to understand. To understand the loss of Love because of Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One. The Spinner. The Crocodile. How morbidly ironic.

She put on a strong face as she told the others goodbye, getting small trinkets to remember them by, even hugging Killian and Regina. It wasn't really goodbye, she'd assured them. She'd be back when she found a way. This was so she could follow her dream. See the sights. Visit her papa. Deep down, Belle knew she was never coming back, and maybe Emma, Killian, Regina, and Henry, the ones that had hugged her longest, knew that too.

It was for the best.

She spent most of her time in the Arendelle library. It was dusty, and needed some tender love and care. So Belle dove into it, cataloging and cleaning and fixing it up. But the whole process had only taken her about a week, and she could only be distracted by skating with Anna and building snowmen with Elsa and ice sculpting with Kristoff for so long before loneliness set in and she was missing Storybrooke and reminded that the Enchanted Forest was only a ship's journey away...It wouldn't even take her a day to be home again. But nothing felt like home anymore. Not even the thought of going back to The Dark Castle.

She had the rest of her life ahead of her. What was she going to do?

Luckily, the tears only came at night. She was given her own room with a view of the fjord that was perfect to read by. But when the sun went down and darkness overtook things the bed felt too big and far too cold despite the down blankets and bright fire. Her chest hurt, the gaping void inside lulling into a dull ache that she never seemed to be able to shake.

Belle stopped sleeping. When she slept, she dreamt, and she saw images of The Dark Castle and Storybrooke and the town line and...

"Belle?"

Anna's voice snapped her out of her daze. For a moment she forgot where she was, but blinked, composing herself. She closed the book in her hands and gave the red-head a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Yes Anna?"

"It...Dinner's ready." Anna said, moving inside to sit beside Belle on the windowsill. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine. I mean, no offense but you look like you haven't slept in days. Not that you don't still look pretty but you're sort of pale and stuff…" Anna's voice trailed off as Belle looked away from the girl, out the window. A look came over her. One of sadness that Anna had found there too much. "Belle what is it?"

"Nothing." Belle said, too quickly, moving to get up, but it was clear that Anna was not letting it go by the firm look she was giving. Belle sighed. "Let's just say some true love is not as easy as what you and Kristoff have."

"You think that was easy? I nearly became a living ice sculpture. Though come to think of it Kristoff would have probably liked that. I swear that man and ice it's kinda weird." Anna shook her head, clearing her throat to stop her rambling. "I didn't know you had found true love."

Belle let out a weak laugh. Found. Hadn't that been in her vows? She glanced to Anna, then shook her head. "I found it but then I…it was lost. And…"

Her voice caught in her throat, and Anna moved, hugging the brunette. "Easy. It's alright Belle. You just have to find it again. There are plenty of eligible bachelors here. Elsa and I can hold a ball and—"

Belle shook her head. "I can't. It's still too much to think about. I just want the…pain to stop.

"You could…" Anna cut herself off when she saw the look of hope flash in Belle's eyes. "No. It's silly. And dumb. Too easy."

"Anna what can I do?" Belle pressed, the dull ache in her chest growing worse. She was tired, lonely, and desperate for any relief she could get. "Please. You don't understand it's…it's unbearable."

The Arendelle princess bit her lip, then sighed. "You could forget." She offered. "We could ask Grandpabi to take the memories of your true love. Make it like it would never happened. But Belle it's too much. You've seen what happened in Storybrooke. Nothing ever comes good of this. Nothing comes out of forgetting."

The brunette blinked, sitting back on the wall, considering the window. Yes, The Snow Queen's hurt had come from her family forgetting her. Yes magic always came with a price. But Rumpelstiltskin was gone. And he wasn't coming back. And she wasn't sure how much longer she could go on with that thought in her mind.

"When can we leave?"


	2. Chapter 2

Forget Me Not

By: RosexKnight

_With a gaping hole in her heart, Belle does the only thing she can think of to get rid of the pain: erase all the memories of her True Love. Rumpelstiltskin is back in the Enchanted Forest._

Chapter Two

"Belle this is crazy." Yes it was. "Are you sure this is even what you want?" No she wasn't. "I mean, I forgot my sister had ice powers when I was little and it drove us apart. Granted I had to but that's not the point. The point is Belle are you sure? Like _really_ sure? Because you're gonna regret it if you're not 110% sure."

Anna had been trying to talk her out of it since they left the palace. She didn't want to admit that she wasn't 110% sure about this. About any of it. The entirety of her being was warring with itself. Part of her wanted to go home, to cry in her father's arms and marry suitor and be done with it. Another part wanted to listen to the reason Anna was saying and go back to Arendelle to slowly get on with her life. And still part of herself wanted to find a way back to Storybrooke to look for him, or go back to The Dark Castle and hope that somehow he was there waiting for her.

But it all hurt too much. What was the good of True Love if you were destined to always lose it?

"I'm sure, Anna." She said, waiting for her to catch up as she rounded a corner of a steep cliff.

She could practically hear Mary Margret's voice telling her it was a mistake. She knew first hand how forgetting a true love could devastate the relationship. She'd almost lost Charming because of a forgetting potion. But this was different. Charming always found Snow White. And there was a time Belle would have said she always found Rumpelstiltskin. But right now, she wasn't looking.

The rest of the walk to the Rock Trolls was silent, though Belle was sure that Anna had many more words of protest swirling in her mind. Heck, so did she. But she wasn't listening to them.

"Grandpabi? We..." Anna hesitated, glancing to Belle as they entered the quarry. "We need you."

One of the round rocks stirred, rolling to rest at Anna's feet. Belle blinked, and the rock was suddenly a familiar elder rock troll.

"Anna!" He said happily, "How was the honeymoon? Did Kristoff shower daily as I instructed?"

"Yes of course." Anna said with a nervous laugh. "The honeymoon was lovely, but that's not why we're here, Grandpabi. You remember Belle..."

The rock troll turned to the brunette. "Of course." He said with a happy nod, "Did the stone help you recover your memories?"

Belle but her lip. "Not exactly. It got complicated."

"Are you back to regain those memories?"

"No." Anna said, for once too nervous to speak, "She...We..."

"I want to forget my True Love." Belle finished, trying to make her voice sound firm. "I want to forget him. And my time with him. As if it never happened."

Grandpabi looked surprised for a moment, then skeptical. "Your true love?" He echoed slowly, "And who is that, my child? Why would you want to forget them?"

"The...The Dark One. Rumpelstiltskin."

"Your true love is WHO?!" Anna was squealing, and Belle flinched, "I thought I told you that you should never meet him! He's a monster."

"He's—" Knee-jerk reaction, Nothing more. "I know you did. But my kingdom was in danger and he could help so we sent for him..."

"And you fell in love with him?!" It was obvious Anna was trying to sound gentle, but it was all too much for her to process. "I mean I can see why he'd fall in love with you. You're kind and sweet and pretty. And I'm sure he has his moments but honestly he was nothing but a liar and a beast to me. He used me. Had me almost murder a man fir his own gain. How did you ever fall for someone so dark and terrible?"

"You knew him? He said..." Belle's voice trailed off. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Yes I fell in love with him. I thought I saw the man behind the monster. But just because he's my True Love doesn't mean that I am his. He's a man who makes wrong decisions."

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Belle turned back to the Rock Troll. Her only hope. "Please help me."

"A broken heart can heal only in time my child..." Grandpabi offered, taking Belle's hand in his. "And forgetting someone so close to it can be...complicated. The head may forget but the heart is not so easily persuaded."

"The pain though? The nightmares? They will all stop?"

"Yes."

"Then do it."

"Very well."

With gentle yet tentative hands, the rock troll began his magic. Belle could feel it tickling her mind, and then nothing but silence and darkness overtook her.

Belle's body fell limp and fell to a heap on the ground.

Anna rushed to the brunette. "Grandpabi! What-?"

"She will be fine." He said, purple magic still flowing from Belle to his hand. "Just a side effect, my dear. True Love is not so easy to forget. Such dark magic has touched her. But also so much light."

"You said her heart would still know. What did you mean?"

"The heart always knows." He explained, the purple magic coming to rest in his hand, and he closed them, forming a perfectly round red stone. "She will always feel a silent tug to her True Love. Just as everyone does."

"Will she be able to find love again?"

"That I don't know. True Love is the most powerful of magic. It can cross realms. I have heard tell that not even death can stop True Love. It can only delay it a little while. Here."

Anna took the perfectly round stone from Grandpabi. It seemed heavier than the memory stones she'd held before. "Why? She didn't want this. If I were her I'd just get rid of it. Destroy it if it holds any connection to that terrible man."

"Magic cannot be destroyed. It can only take on another form. The stone is her memories but also the magic of True Love within her." He patted Belle's head gently, his hand glowing for a moment, manipulating memories and filling in gaps. "She may need it. I don't know what will happen if she comes into contact with him again."

"Well." Anna said, her tone lighter with relief as she placed the stone in her pouch. "We're lucky that's impossible. I mean, he's all the way in that weird other world. I don't see how he could get back here again."

All those who had dared ventured towards The Dark Castle in its ruined state had quickly disappeared. Whether or not it was because the master had made them disappear with the flick of his wrist no one ever said. Because Rumpelstiltskin was back in the Enchanted Forest, and that's all that really mattered.

The Dark One himself was tearing through his castle, muttering only swears and inaudible phrases as he flung aside books, furniture, and damn near everything else in his wake.

"Has to be here. Has to be here."

The Queens of Darkness thought they were clever. Sending him back to The Enchanted Forest, thinking he'd be the same limp spinner he was when they saw him. But The Enchanted Forest had magic. And magic meant he had his powers back. Which means he could check on her.

"Aha!"

The sound was more of a snarl than cheerful as the imp's fingers fell upon what he was searching for. A silver mirror with gold designs. Something that looked so common no one would ever be fool enough to steal it. Which suited him just fine.

Brushing the rubble off of the object, his heart began to pound. It had been a month, two weeks, and six hours since he'd seen her. She'd banished him. Left him powerless and penniless without so much as a cane. And yet he could not bring himself to hate her. After all hadn't he deserved it? He had indeed, but all he wanted to do was see her. Make sure she was alright. Make sure she was healing.

"Show me Belle." He commanded, and the mirror's surface began to swirl with cloudy magic. When the surface cleared, he saw her. Belle was laughing. Her smile was enough to make his knees weak. But it was the setting that fascinated him. "That's not Storybrooke…"

Another girl came into view. Anna. The red-head pulled the brunette away, and the two were racing off to join Elsa, the ice queen, in building a snowman.

"Arendelle."

Rumpelstiltskin didn't know his knees had buckled until he hit the floor. Arendelle. She was in Arendelle. She was but a stone's throw away. And he could get back to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Forget Me Not

By: RosexKnight

_Rumpelstiltskin plans for a trip to Arendelle. Elsa learns of what Belle has done. Anna summons The Dark One._

Chapter Three

Rumpelstiltskin spent the next few days reviving his castle. It was a simple enough task with magic, though he had far too many things to worry about. Like the items his collection was now missing, and the thieves that thought they could simply waltz in as if they owned the place. He'd deal with them soon enough.

For some reason he couldn't bring himself to get rid of the thin layer of dust that had gathered on everything. He'd leave it. A reminder.

He checked on Belle every day, and every day she was happy. Smiling and laughing. Content in reading her book by the window of her room or riding the horse she'd named Phillep across the fjord. It brought him some level of closure to know that she was happy despite it all, though why she'd chosen to go to Arendelle he didn't know. Though she had said she'd wanted to see the world...

He needed an in. He couldn't very well just show up in Arendelle. Then Belle would know he'd been watching. Know why he was there. It was much too fast in their current state. Then there was the case of Anna, who would know him and be too suspicious. The girl was too smart for her own good. And Elsa wouldn't be happy to have The Dark One in her kingdom. No, he needed an excuse. A reason.

He needed someone to call upon him.

A simple task really. How hard could it be to find someone in Arendelle saying his name three times?

"So she really has forgotten everything." Elsa said, watching Belle read a book that three weeks ago she wouldn't have touched. Too many painful memories, she'd said.

The two left the library, stopping in the hallway to watch the snow fall through a large window. Winter had come to Arendelle. But it was not a sad time for its people. Winter was a time of togetherness and family. However, the two royal sisters couldn't seem to get into the spirit. Not with the way Belle had been acting.

Anna nodded, nibbling a brownie. "Yeah. It's all in a stone though. Grandpabi said we may need it or something. I think it has to do with who her True Love is."

Her sister put the perfectly round stone before her, and Elsa turned it in her hand.

"And who's that?"

"You're not gonna believe this. Do you remember the terrible sorcerer I told you about when I went to Misthaven?" Anna asked. "The one who took the pirate's heart in Storybrooke?"

"Gold?" Elsa asked, trying to follow all of the intertwining events in her head.

"Yes! Well except that's not his real name. But yes. Belle's True Love is Rumpelstiltskin."

Elsa's eyes widened. "What?!"

"I know right?" Anna said, swallowing her chocolate treat before continuing. "I mean who can blame him? Belle's great. But True Love goes both ways right? It's just so odd to think that she could love someone like Rumpelstiltskin."

"True Love is a strange thing, and comes from odd places." Elsa reasoned, "Your True Love is Kristoff."

Anna gave her a look of disapproval, but Elsa ignored it.

"Whose best friend is a reindeer and who was raised by rock trolls and who sometimes forgets to shower."

"Well...yes you may be right about all of that." The red-head said, "But Kristoff is just a bit of a fixer-upper."

"And The Dark One isn't?"

"No! Kristoff is sweet and protective and adorable! He has his flaws sure but I can look past them to the good because there is good there. Rumpelstiltskin is nothing but a deplorable lying beast."

"Oh I'm not all that bad."

The girls squeaked, whirling around the see The Dark One, clad in his usual leather giving them his usual grin. He seemed all too pleased to be there, not something that was usually a good sign.

"What are you doing here?" Elsa hissed, stepping in front of her sister.

"He can't hurt us, Elsa." Anna said rather proudly, almost to the point of being cocky. "I made sure of that."

"That doesn't mean he's not still here when he's not wanted."

"Not wanted?" The Dark One said, putting a hand over his heart in mock hurt, "Why, your sister summoned me."

"What? No I didn't." Anna glanced to Elsa. "No. I didn't."

He held up a finger, wagging it at them. "You said my name three times."

Anna ran the conversation she'd had with her sister through her mind as Elsa seemed to relax a little. "Yeah but I was talking about you I wasn't trying to summon you. How are you even here? When we left you were still in Storybrooke. You didn't follow us did you?"

"Don't flatter yourself, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin said flatly, waving his hand. "How I got back here after the unfortunate events of the night you left is none of your concern."

"Why are you really here?" Elsa asked firmly. "If you plan on doing anything to Arendelle or its people I swear-"

"No no, I don't want anything with your little land." He said, shifting slightly in his demeanor. Becoming suddenly very unsure for a moment before the impishness returned. "A little birdie told me my wife was here in Arendelle. I simply wanted to check on her, nothing more."

The two girls exchanged glances, then their eyes searched him, looking for something that he didn't know if they would find. He knew that look all too well. And he didn't like it one bit.

"Well? Is she here?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, his voice perhaps having too much of an edge of desperation.

"She is." Elsa said gently. "But..."

His stomach churned. "But?"

"She-"

"Anna, Elsa could you...Oh. Sorry I didn't realize you had company."

Belle had emerged from the library, cradling the hard bound book in her arms. Rumpelstiltskin stiffened, his throat suddenly dry. She was there. Right there. Right before him. He'd rehearsed this moment in his head more times than he could count, and none of the words he was going to say was coming to him now. Because it was different. Too different. There was no trace of unhappiness in her eyes. No lingering weight in her steps as she breezed past him to the royal sisters. It was almost as if…

"Company?" Anna said, "Oh yes him well he's-"

"How is the book?" Elsa interrupted in an attempt to distract Belle's curious eyes from Rumpelstiltskin.

"Oh! It's great. I don't know why I've never read it before." Belle said with a smile.

The spinner's chest gave a squeeze. She had read it before. She had read it out loud to him as he spun at The Dark Castle, and then when they say by the fire in Storybrooke with his head on her lap. How could she not know it? Was this some sort of cruel joke?

"I didn't interrupt did I?" Belle asked, sensing the uneasiness between the trio.

"Not at all, dearie." He said hoarsely. "I was just on my way out."

"Oh. Alright. I'll um, find you later, Anna and Elsa." She said, nodding to him. "It was nice to meet you."

The three of them watched as Belle left, making her way down the hallway that led to the kitchen. A silence stretched between them as she disappeared from sight.

"Rumpelstiltskin?" Anna ventured when he didn't move. She had no idea how someone was able to stay so inhumanly motionless. "Rumpelstiltskin."

"She looked right through me..." He breathed, then looked back at them, knowing his eyes looked far too vulnerable and human for the ruthless Dark One but not caring. "What happened?!"

Elsa looked to Anna, a question in her eyes for her younger sister. Anna nodded, and Elsa opened her palm, showing him the perfectly round stone that sat in her hand.

"She forgot."


	4. Chapter 4

Forget Me Not

By RosexKnight

_Rumpelstiltskin deals with Belle forgetting. Kind of. Anna and Elsa make a decision about the memory stone, and strike up a deal. After all, The Dark One does not beg. Except for her._

Chapter Four

The words didn't register at first. Nor did the sight of the round purple stone. Forgot. The world suddenly seemed very far away as the previous statement flashed into his mind again.

She forgot.

Rumpelstiltskin's knees were the first things to tremble, followed by the rest of his body as the realization finally hit. All the smiles he'd seen in the mirror. All the laughs. All the happiness. The way she looked right through him. It was because she's forgotten. Completely. He willed himself to stay upright, but he couldn't help his expression, and he could feel the pitiful looks of the princesses.

The princesses.

The Dark One began to giggle, the sound verging on hysteric, and Elsa and Anna turned rigid.

"Oh I see. This was you want it?"

"Pardon?" Anna said, almost a laugh in her voice.

"This was you!" Rumpelstiltskin snapped, jabbing a finger at Anna.

It made perfect sense. She never liked him. They never trusted him. So they took what was most precious to him as some sort of sick revenge. The bloody pirate probably put them up to it. Or the Ice Queen. She never liked him either. This would be the perfect revenge. Take away Belle's memories. Torture him in the most intimate way. Get to his heart and take down the beast. Oh how he wanted to turn them into something that would crunch under his boot. But his magic wouldn't come. Only anger and sadness bubbled inside him.

Belle wouldn't have forgotten. Belle wouldn't have let it all go just like that. Not his brave Belle that saw past the beast to the man. Not his perfect Belle who had truly believed he wouldn't hurt her despite being under the control of an evil witch. She wouldn't. He believed it. He clung to it. He had to.

"You turned her against me!"

"This was her choice." Elsa defended.

"No!" He snapped again, sounding less enraged and more like a wounded animal. "Belle wouldn't forget! Not about us! Not my Belle!"

The princesses exchanged nervous glances as The Dark One shouted. Anna took him in, noting the way his voice cracked when he called her his and how his fists were trembling. His eyes were looking at her, but we're unfocused, and he sounded like he was trying to convince himself of his words just as much as them.

Maybe...

"She did." Anna said gently.

For a moment it looked like he wanted to shout again, to break something. To make anything hurt as much as he was hurting. But then he faltered, and she saw his face crumple as he stumbled back a step, all of it finally hitting him.

She forgot.

This wasn't like before. She wasn't Lacey. She hadn't lost her memories because Hook had shot her over the town line. She was Belle. Perfectly happy Belle before he had ever set eyes on her. Before the deal. Before the chipped cup. Before the stupid thief. Before the Queens of Darkness. Before the ladder. Before the rose. Before the kiss. Before Storybrooke. And she'd forgotten him. Tossed away her memories into a stone. Willingly.

A silence settled between the trio, one that was unsettling but also had a hint of understanding. Finally, Anna stepped forward, taking the stone from Elsa as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, soothing her worry.

He looked more human than she'd ever seen, looking at her but not at her. Eyes far away and drowning in pain they couldn't swim in. It was the same look Belle had sometimes when she thought no one was looking.

Just maybe...

"Look you shouldn't...I mean I don't think she really wanted to forget you. But she said the pain was too much. And she wasn't herself. Not that I knew her that well but she could barely get through a book and I know that's not like her. And I tried to talk her out of it but she wasn't having it. She couldn't sleep. She barely ate. It was downright unhealthy. We tried to cheer her up. Parties. Snowmen. Even chocolate didn't work! And chocolate can cure anything. Seriously, I—"

"Anna." Elsa said, cutting off her sister's babbling. Obviously not liking how close she was to Rumpelstiltskin, no matter how wounded he seemed.

The younger princess paused for a moment, realizing she'd just been babbling at the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms. He didn't comment, but his expression was more focused now, becoming the numb steele she'd seen him in before.

"Anyway..." Anna's voice trailed off as she offered him the stone, "Here."

Elsa immediately protested. "Anna! You can't give him—"

"Elsa it's _their_ memories. Not exactly ours to keep. And if Belle can't have them we might as well give them to him. Besides I don't think he'd want to cause more harm to the poor girl. No offense I...she never told us what happened and we didn't exactly _wanna_ pry so..."

The Dark One stared at the stone. His face was hard. His mask of neutrality back on. But his eyes betrayed him, and it was with a tentative hand that he reached for the stone. But his hand stopped just before he could touch it.

Because he was still a coward. A coward that didn't have the heart to take it lest he be tempted to release the memories and confront Belle.

He flicked his wrist, and purple smoke enveloped the stone. When it cleared the stone was encircled with golden twine, making it into a pendant on its gold chain.

"Give it to her. A gift from her tru—" he cut himself off, gritting his teeth. "From the odd guest you had today."

"I will. She'll be okay. She has us after all. And she's chipping away at ur library faster than anyone has before. She even learned to read our runes. So don't worry about her." Anna offered him a small smile. "We'll probably end up visiting Misthaven one day. She talks about seeing her father again and well, the heart always knows where it belongs I suppose."

She'd meant for it to be comforting, but it only seemed to make something inside of him turn. She saw his eyebrows raise, the clarity in her eyes as a thought came to him.

"The heart always knows." The imp repeated, giving a significant look to Anna.

"Oh I don't think—"

"No." Elsa said firmly. "We don't need any dark magic in Arendelle. Especially from the likes of you. Belle made her choice. Haven't you done enough?"

"Elsa...!" Anna said, surprised at her sister. Though who could blame her. It wasn't as if Rumpelstiltskin was the most trustworthy...man? Sure. Man in all the realms.

But the way hurt flickered behind his eyes before the anger and the way his body shook...

Maybe it really was True Love.

"Please." He said firmly. "Please. I have to have her back."

"Why?" Anna asked, cautiously. Wanting to hear him say it.

His words were sincere. "She made me better. Made me stronger. She's my wife. And I've lost her countless times. I cannot lose her again. Not without trying."

"What would be the point?" Elsa asked. "This isn't some second chance the world has given you. Just because her memories are gone does not mean her heart has mended."

"I know." He nearly growled, looking down and away from them. "But I need her."

It was stupid. He knew he should leave her there. Let her be happy. Focus on rebuilding the castle. Making things as they used to be. But Rumpelstiltskin had always been a selfish coward. It wasn't like before. When he'd sent her away. When he thought she died and he was able to focus all his efforts into the curse. But now he didn't have any distractions. The curse was gone. His son was gone. He didn't even have the damned chipped cup.

"Belle's...Belle's all I have left."

"Rumpel—"

"The Dark One does not beg, dearie." His voice cracked at the word. "He makes deals."

"Would you beg?" Anna asked, ignoring the surprised looks of the two magic users. What was so great about magic if it brought this pain? Snowmen were not worth this. "If we told you that was what we wanted. Would you fall on your knees and beg us to help you win her over? For her?"

All of his being seemed to collapse in upon himself. Here he was, The Dark One, the most powerful being in all the realms, and his insides were still trembling as if he were the lame spinner all those years ago. Magic. What good was it?

"Yes." He said sincerely, his voice low and perfectly human, void of all trepidation, yet carrying a hint of desperation. "Yes I would. Is that what you want?"

Elsa glanced at Anna, but the younger sister shook her head.

"No." Anna decided. "No one deserves that. Not even you. We want..."

"Protection." Elsa decided as her sister looked back at her. "We want you to promise no harm will come to the people of Arendelle by your hand."

"You have my word." He said, giving a small bow.

"And..." Anna began. "When the time comes. If for whatever reason you decide to give Belle her memories back. It must be her choice to keep you."

"As it should be."

"Good." Anna said, suddenly feeling very heavy with what they were doing.

Elsa came to stand beside her, standing tall. A model queen. "I trust you will have no trouble disguising yourself? You may not be known here but I don't need any of my people frightened needlessly."

"Of course, your highness."

"Alright. You may stay in any of the guest rooms. We'll figure out the best way to go about this over time. For now you're simply a guest from Misthaven. No more, no less."

The relief that washed over him was palpable, and Anna almost giggled at the way his lips quirked into a smile he didn't want to show them. He gave them a bow. A genuine bow before disappearing in a puff of smoke, his "Thank you." The only thing lingering as he left. The girls stood in silence for a long moment.

"We're doing this for Belle." Anna said, running her thumb over the necklace. "Because sometimes her eyes still grow dark and we both know it. And she hasn't so much as glanced at those trying to court her."

"You're right. Sometimes I hate it when you're right." Elsa nodded. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Not at all."


	5. Chapter 5

Forget Me Not

By RosexKnight

_Belle is not so sure why the necklace is so important, or how she feels for this new odd guest in Arendelle. Feelings she doesn't understand. A first meeting._

Chapter Five

It should have been a trinket. Nothing more. The necklace was beautiful, of course. The chain looked as if it were woven by hand meticulously with the golden thread, and the stone was wrapped decoratively as its pendant in a way Belle had never seen before. The stone itself didn't look particularly valuable. It wasn't anything like the jewels that usually came on rings and pendants. Perhaps it was precious in his land.

I really should have been nothing but a trinket. She'd gotten trinkets from suitors before. She remembered keeping a box of them on her desk and made a game of seeing if the grandness of the gift reflected their desperation to be her intended. But somehow, this little trinket from a man she hadn't exchanged two words with seemed more valuable than her entire box combined.

"Who…Who was he?" Belle asked Ana as they sat in the kitchen, the cook having promised them the spoons of the chocolate cake he was making so they might sample the batter. "The man who gave me the necklace?"

Anna glanced to her, then to the stone that dangled from the chain at her throat. It was a perfect length, really. But Anna didn't want to think about gifts The Dark One might bestow on his beloved.

"A guest. From Misthaven." Anna answered carefully, sticking to the story they had decided upon. "He's a wealthy spinner who wishes to sample the wool of Arendelle."

"And you're letting him stay in the castle?"

"As I said, he's very wealthy. A Duke if I'm not mistaken."

Belle paused, looking over the image of the man in her mind. His odd skin, curls that somehow seemed too long on a man, and eyes that were so inhuman yet tender all at the same time.

"Do I know him?" Belle suddenly blurted.

Ana shook her head. "No. I don't think so. I mean as far as I know you haven't met. He didn't mention you until after he saw you last night. And Misthaven is a big place so unless you somehow met him in your land I don't see how you could have met him before. But he really doesn't seem so bad or anything. Definitely not a crazy sorcerer."

Belle was nodding halfway through Ana's ramblings, her thumb absently running over the stone at her neck. "Yes. Of course. That was silly of me."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just need some chocolate and a good book to clear my head."

The cook appeared with two wooden spoons, handing them to Belle ad Ana, who gladly took them, licking away the chocolate batter like children.

"He's not here to court me is he?" Belle asked suddenly.

Ana couldn't stop the laugh that burst from her. The Dark One courting someone. COURTING! It seemed so funny to Ana. But Belle was giving her a quizzical look, so she had to compose herself and wave her hand dismissively.

"If he is, could you blame him?"

This time it was Belle's turn to giggle as her fingers once again ran across the makeshift pendant. "No. I suppose not."

"Oh."

The squeak tumbles from her lips before she can stop herself. She's not used to anyone in the library besides herself and perhaps Ana and Elsa. But there he is, a man with a staff to prop one side against, caressing the book she'd set aside to finish reading as if it were a woman rather than pages bound in hard leather. He looked different. His hair was straighter, skin smooth more like a man rather than the gold shimmer of the day before. The only way she knew it was him at all was his odd set of clothes.

Oh but why did her chest ache so when his eyes met hers?

"My lady." He said, his voice as startled as hers had been, nothing like the odd pitch of yeterday. He jerked his hand away from the book, as if he was a child being caught touching something he shouldn't have been. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

Belle shook her head, trying to ignore how his eyes flickered to the necklace she wore and how his smile made her heart falter.

Gods what was wrong with her? She didn't know a thing about this man, and here she was, heart racing with one glance like a schoolgirl.

"No matter." She said, striding over despite wanting, illogically, to run. But the library was her domain, and she would not be ran out of it. "Have you read it before?"

His eyes met hers, and for a moment Belle thought she saw hope flicker behind them. "No." He said finally. "Is it a good story?"

"Very good so far. I haven't finished it yet."

"What's it about?"

"A beauty. Who saves her father from a beast by sacrificing her freedom, and then falls in love with her captor."

"The beast."

"Yes."

"A bit foolish." Rumpelstiltskin said with a bit of a flourish of his hand, the one not on his staff.

"But heroic." Belle pointed out, a smile tugging at her lips. "And she found someone who could love her."

"Yes but…does he love him back?"

She quirked her head to the side, seeing the odd way hope flickered across his eyes. Somehow it brought her comfort for some reason. This was an odd man, she decided, and she had no idea why her heart stuttered in her chest and made her want to run at the same time. It frightened her. She didn't like it at all.

"I don't know." Belle said honestly, wretching her eyes away from his. "I uh…I haven't finished it yet."

"Right, Yes of course." He moved, seeming to sense her uneasiness. He stepped away, bowing slightly to her. "I have some spinning to do. Until later, Lady Belle."

As he started out of the library, Belle shook her head. "Wait."

He paused immediately, turning to her, and she could tell he was trying to look natural. But his eyes flickered to the way her thumb was stroking the stone, an action she wasn't aware of until it his eyes flickered back up to hers ad her hand dropped back down to her side.

Once again she shook her head. "Nevermind. It's…it's nothing."

"Nothing, dearie?"

His eyes had hope again, and she swallowed. Yes. She definitely felt like running. But somehow in a good way.

"No it's just…Um…" She cleared her throat. "Have we…met before?"

The spinner looked as if he was warring with himself, but his features remained focused and steeley. But she couldn't deny the way he stiffened, the way his hand tightened around his staff.

"I would have a hard time forgetting you, my lady." He finally said, his voice playful yet tender.

She chuckled, biting her lip "Of course. Sorry. You enjoy your um…spinning."

He nodded. "And you your reading."

"I'll let you know how it ends."

Her words made him smile, and with a nod and another bow he was out the door of the library and walking down the halls of the castle. She went to her favorite window to read on her favorite couch, completely oblivious to the way Rumpelstiltskin collapsed against the wall, or that his chest was aching just as much as hers.


End file.
